An Ethnobotanical Study of Plants used for the Treatment of Diabetes in the Warangal District, Andhra Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT

Herbal  medicine  is  gaining  popularity  both  in  developing  and  developed  countries  because  of  their  natural  origin.  The herbal drugs with antidiabetic activity are yet to be commercially formulated as modern medicines, even though they have been acclaimed for their therapeutic properties in the traditional systems of medicine. Ethnobotanical documentation is one way of capturing this body of knowledge. An Ethnobotanical survey was conducted on the medicinal plants frequently used for the management of diabetes mellitus in Warangal district, Andhra Pradesh by traditional healers.  Information was  obtained through  structured  questionnaire  administered  to  traditional  healers  and  herbalists  in  the  region.  The study revealed 15 species of plants belonging to 13 families. The decoction of the roots leaves and barks of these  plants  are  the  most  commonly  used  while  the  extracts  are  taken  orally  for  long  period  of  time usually between 6 and 12 months, depending on the severity of the ailments. Chloroxylon swietenia and Costus speciosus of the families Rutaceae and Zingiberaceae respectively, were repeatedly mentioned by the traditional healers as the two mostly used for the management of diabetes mellitus in the study area. There is urgent need of recording all ethnobotanical information before  they  are  lost  and  continuous  efforts  should  be  made  to  collect  the information which will provide avenue for future generation.

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